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It was over a month now since the report carried out by the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force into the police shooting of Santo Y. Hernandez (left) was handed over on March 8, 2018, to Commissioner of Police (CoP), Michael B. Mathews (right). Photo: VINO/File

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - As the political leaders in the Virgin Islands threaten independence in response to the United Kingdom’s House of Commons voting to imposed public registry on the Territory’s offshore sector in a move that can destroy the Financial Services Industry, ordinary residents are now asking if the current leaders can be trusted with independence.

The public is also asking if we can trust the institutions such as the police, the Office of the Director of Public Persecutions (DPP) and elected officials to protect the people’s rights.

It was over a month now since the report carried out by the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force into the police shooting of Santo Y. Hernandez was handed over on March 8, 2018, to Commissioner of Police (CoP), Michael B. Mathews with copies being given to both the DPP and Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert.

The CoP said in a statement last month that the Governor will make the report public “once the ok is given by the DPP”. A call today May 9, 2018, to the Office of the DDP on when the report will be made public, they referred us to the Governor’s Office.

Can we trust them?

In a call to the Governor’s Office, our newsroom was told that Governor Jaspert was out of office and they took our number and some four hours later no call back was forthcoming.

It is clear that the public is now becoming suspicious and mistrusting of the police, the DPP and the Governor over this matter.

The media, civil society and local legal activists are asking if Mr Mathews already stated publicly that the police life was in danger and the deceased prisoner accused of murder was "violent" then why can’t the report be forthcoming on what happened.

This report and the truth of what happened many believe is a test of the popular CoP’s credibility and integrity and whether the public will continue to have faith and trust in him.

Background

There was also confusion over whether Mr Hernandez, one of three escaped prisoners who were still on the run after some 143 inmates broke out of Her Majesty’s Prison on Tortola following Hurricane Irma on September 6, 2017, was armed with a gun.

At the time of his shooting, after police got a tip that Mr Hernandez was in an abandoned house at Butu Mountain on the main island of Tortola, Mr Mathews said, "armed officers were confronted with a violent escaped prisoner”.

The dead man was accused of the murder of Alston E. Penn in 2017, but did not live to be tried or convicted of the crime.

Confusion was cleared up over the issue of whether Mr Hernandez had a gun or a knife on the morning of December 6, 2017, when National Security Council officials, after receiving their briefing, confirmed to our newsroom that he only had a knife.

On December 7, 2017, a day later, Mr Hernandez died even though police said he was in "stable condition at Peebles Hospital under police guard".

A day later, Commissioner Mathews told the public that he had ordered an investigation into the police killing of Mr Hernandez and it will be “transparent” and “independent”.

On Monday December 11, 2017, some 12 police officers from the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force arrived in the Virgin Islands to conduct the investigations.

The report was handed over to the CoP on March 8, 2018, however, it’s yet to be made public.

16 Responses to “1 month later police report on killing of Hernandez still not public”

At this time I rather the NDP backbenchers take over the government, along with the opposition, and take control of all these things going down in our country. We are on a death spiral; I just so sorry for the generations to come. A debtor generation with no way to get out of it.

if his colleagues are not the solution. He is just creating jobs for them. A police state is not he answer. Get our peopke to commit to an iverrracring vision. That is where you should start after clearing out the rift-rafts in your institution. Too many rats.

Thou shalt not have police investigating police: there are two serious matters because the persons executed by law enforcement was never convicted for the given offence of murder..I knew young Mr Penn and I wish to see justice done on his behalf:

There are 48 Unsolved murders in the BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS in the last TWENTY FIVE years. The ckergy does not speak about this. The House of Ass[embly] does not speak about this. The Locals do not speak about this. The Expat community does not speak about this. This is very serious but hey!@#$$. Life IS real. Conversation anyone?????.

@ Rex FeRal: thank up for stats on the unsolved murders: I could be wrong but you only hear about anything if money is the bottom line: once their is an issue that is associated with money then you will get all manner of lips service: if it is a social matter one will not hear the same level of concern. There is far more concern with issues connected to money: the uk is pushing regulations to our financial industry and some gone wild; however the same uk is pushing same sex conduct on our community but there is no conversation about marching on this matter

I'm glad that Vino seems to be interested in equal rights and justice. My issue is though why no attention in this or a separate article is being pointed to the fact that Santo Hernandez was being aided and abetted by others. Why the hullabaloo for this felon though? Seems kinda like one sided journalism to me. My humble opinion aye.

I was also wondering about who was helping to hide this felon. He had to get food from somewhere. I think he was shot just 2weeks after the double murder at West End. I don't think he was connected to that murder,but I don't know why so much was put into investigating his death rather than them investigating the double murder

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